Identity

When the iconic red Netflix notification appeared on my phone – New Arrival: To Rome With Love – my memory faltered. I quickly googled the film’s director to confirm that yes, Netflix had just added a film created by a reported pedophile the same week that another male celebrity was, among many other men in Hollywood, accused of sexual assault.

On October 29, Buzzfeed first published allegations by actor Anthony Rapp accusing Kevin Spacey of sexual assault in 1986. In response, Netflix swiftly suspended production of House of Cards with the actor. Three days later, they added the 2012 film To Rome With Love, written and directed by Woody Allen.

Since sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein by many women were published earlier this Fall in the New York Times, Hollywood has reacted quickly against many of those now accused. Weinstein was voted out of the Academy; Louis CK’s film I Love You Daddy was pulled from its November release date; Kevin Spacey was recast in the upcoming film All the Money in the World. Yet Woody Allen has just added a movie to Netflix and is now shooting a new film with A-list stars including Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jude Law.

Why is action being more directly taken against today’s outed perpetrators while one outed two decades ago enjoys an increasingly successful career?

It was such a natural statement, such a normal predicament. And easily solved.

It was the first night of NSO, and as my roommate and I stepped outside the quad, our night’s plans were quickly determined. Guys were sweeping the streets outside the dorms – “Are you bored? We need girls.” – picking up female students to add to their growing masses on the way to the frats. They couldn’t get in without us; it was all about the ratio.

I was intrigued, not by the fact that they needed more girls – what’s a party without heterosexual interaction and the prospect of hooking up? – but by the nonchalance of such a statement. The guys said it, the girls laughed, and the party began.

It has been over a year since Colin Kaepernick first decided to sit down for the national anthem before a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans to protest the ongoing incidents of police brutality against African-Americans. He finally broke headlines after going unnoticed for weeks, when a reporter asked him about the incident after the 49ers’ third preseason game.

When asked about why he chose to remain sitting for the anthem, Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”

Since then, the quarterback has simultaneously drawn support from celebrities and fellow athletes for his actions and become an electric rod for scrutiny in the media for his refusal to stand in reverence of the flag. His critics say he should have kept political issues out of sports, as it sullies the spirit of the game. For many, watching sports is an escape from the complications of everyday life, and his protest is an intrusion into their weekly sanctuary. Others who disapprove argue that he is disrespecting our nation and the soldiers fighting abroad, and his message has admittedly been inconsistent at times. During a training session with the 49ers, Kaepernick showed up with socks portraying pigs in police uniforms, generalizing and insulting officers risking their lives to protect the community. His ill-advised outfit distracted people further away from his primary issue, backfiring and drawing criticism for his offensive depictions of law enforcement officials. In November, Kaepernick dug himself even further into a hole when he declared that he declined to vote in the 2016 Presidential election. For someone who had been so outspoken against civil rights violations in recent months, why would he refuse to exercise his power and responsibility as a citizen to vote? The criticism came long, and it came hard.

I walked into the first day of RUSS001 excited to finally learn the language and culture that always left me in awe. The art and aesthetics I loved as a teenager were typically Soviet or Russian, from Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita to t.A.T.u. I was going to take it freshman year at Penn before my pre-major adviser suggested taking Spanish to fulfill my language requirement, and then to take Russian if I was interested. She warned me of the agony if I decided to take Russian but ended up hating it. I took her suggestion, figuring that it didn’t hurt to improve my Spanish. Now that the language requirement was out of the way, I could have fun. I was ready.

Many students at Penn believe in fostering social change, especially right here in Philadelphia. Kate Zipin is one woman who also wants to make a difference in society, one summer at a time. Upon relocating to Philadelphia, the former teacher founded Own Your Awesomeness – a camp meant to empower girls. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Zipin and ask her about the need for empowering girls in society and discuss how her camp is impacting the girls she works with.

Q: Hi Ms. Zipin. Can you please introduce yourself and say, in your own words: What is Own Your Awesomeness [OYA]?

A: My name is Kate Zipin and I am the founder and director of Own Your Awesomeness, a Philly nonprofit that empowers high school girls. Our programs focus on skill-building workshops, like how to change a tire and developing financial literacy, and conversations about being a teenage girl today, like body image, women in the media, and health. We pull it all together in a one-week program in the summer where girls connect with female mentors and build a community as they explore new passions, tap into their strengths, and own their awesomeness.

The other day, a friend and I went to the King of Prussia Mall. As expected, the mall was packed. Now usually, that’s not a problem. People ignore me and I ignore them as we spend our separate lives out shopping. But this time was different.

The picture above is by Dread Scott, an activist and artist whose chosen mediums include everything from performance to graphic design. This specific piece of artwork is called– not surprisingly – “HATE.” What struck me first was the uncanny resemblance it has to the familiar pop-culture icon we all know and love– the LOVE statue on Locust Walk.

In these turbulent political times, many have reconsidered the place of high profile awards ceremonies in American culture and society. Few critics, however, seem to note that the Academy Awards has historically operated on a troubling dual message.